Spring shade-roller.



No. 823,452. PATENTED JUNE 12, 1906. F. M. VIOKERY.

SPRING SHADE ROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED JULIS. 1905.

2 3w 1 Y 405 72562 2 4 2 22. 2/ J2 32 I brackets for supporting the rollers.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application filed July 3, 1905. Serial No. 268,241.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. YICKERY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Shade- Rollers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in spring shadr- -rollers and in shades for application thereto. also in The invention consists in the several improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a shade-roller embodying my invention. 7 Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a side view showing the roller, its supportingbrackets, and a portion of a shade mounted on the roller. Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Figs. 6 and 7 represent elevations of the end portions of the roller, Fig. 6 showing a sectional view of one of the brackets and Fig. 7 an elevation of the opposite bracket. Fig. 8 represents a section on line 8 8 of Fig. 3, showing the shade entirely wound upon the roller. Fig. 9 represents a perspective view of one of the roller-brackets. Fig. 10 represents a fragmentary detail view. Fig. 11 represents a section on line 11 11, Fig. 10. Fig. 12 represents a perspective view showing a portion of the roller and a portion of the shade engaged therewith in accordance with my invention. Fig. 13 represents a perspective view of a portion of the shade and one of the stiffening members applied thereto, the latter being left open. Fig. 14 represents an edge view showing the parts represented in Fig. 13 after the stiffening member has been compressed or closed.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

An important feature of my improved shade-roller is a sectional construction whereby the length of the roller may be readily adjusted. While certain of the improvements hereinafter described are not dependent on this adjustability of the roller, I will first describe this feature of the invention.

20 and 21 represent the two main or body sections of the roller, and 22 represents a tubular section or sleeve, preferably of sheet I i of the body-sections 20 and 21, the said bodymetal, adapted to receive the adjacent ends sections being adapted to move endwise in the tubular section to vary the length of the roller. Suitable means are employed to engage the sections and prevent independent rotation of either section, the preferred means being an engaging member 23 on the tubular member 22 and complemental engaging members 24 011 the body-sections 20 and 21, the member 23 being preferably an inwardly-projecting rib formed of the sheet metal of the tubular section 22, while the engaging members 24 are preferably longitudinal grooves formed in the body-sections and adapted to receive the member 23. This rib 23 is shown as formed integrally from the walls of the tubular section, thus giving separated portions connected at their inner ends, the connection strengthening the structure and preventing displacement. \Vhen the sections have been adjusted to give the shade the desired length, they may be secured against relative endwise displacement by any suitable means, such as by tacks 26, driven into the tubular section 22 and into the inner end portions of the body-sections 20 and 21.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the operator can readilyvary the length of the roller and make the length permanent at any desired adjustment.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for detachably securing the shade 27 to the roller. To this end the shade is provided at suitable intervals along its inner end, or the end which is applied to the roller, with stiffening mem bers 28, preferably formed by folding a strip of flexible non-resilient sheet metal with portions of the inner 'end of the shade in the mannerindicated in Fig. 13, in which the sheet-metal strip is shown in an open condition for the sake of clearness of illustration. The strip is preferably bent lengthwise at 29 and 30, and the shade is bent at 31 over one edge of the stiffening-strip. The stiffeningstrip is compressed upon the intermediate portions of the fabric, as indicated in Fig. 14, and thus securely engaged with the fabric, it having a single thickness lying outside one portion thereof and being doubled over another portion. The roller is provided with longitudinal slots or pockets adapted to receive the stiffenin members 28. The slots 24 above described may be utilized in part for this purpose, additional slots 32 being provided for the same purpose, as shown in Fig. 1. The stiffening members may be readily applied to the inner end of the shade by the fingers of the operator, said members being located to correspond with the slots formed for their reception in the roller. The engagement of the shade with the roller is effected by simply inserting the stiffening members on the shade in the slots in the roller. The roller is provided with means, such as those described in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 718,178, for stopping the rotation of the shade-roller when the shade is being ulled down before the shade has been entire y unwound, so that the stiffening members are at all times held in engagement with the slots of the roller by portions of the shade wound u pon the roller and extending across the portions which carry the stiffening members.

To prevent excessive winding of the shade upon the roller and the passage of the shadestick at the lower end of the shade over the to of the roller or between the top of the ro ler and the window-casing, I provide the roller-brackets with checks or stops 34, adapted to engage and arrest the shade-stick 35 When the same reaches the vicinity of the roller, as indicated in Fig. 9, the said stop rojecting over a portion of the periphery o the roller and being in such close proximity to the outer surface of the coiled shade as to prevent the passage of the shade-stick over the .roller.

The roller-brackets which support the checks or stops 34 are preferably composed of sheet metal, each having a base portion 36, adapted to be applied to the window-casing, and an 37, arm projecting from the upper end ofthe base portion over the roller, said arm supporting the stop 34. The bracket is also provided with a spring-arm 38, adapted to eng)age the projections atthe end of the roller.

ne of these projections is the rotating trunnion 39, which enters a circular orifice or bearing 40, formed for its reception in one of the brackets. The other projection is the bracket-engaging portion of the spindle 41, which is aflixed to one end of the rollerspring 42, the said bracket-engaging portion being formed to engage a slot in the arm 38 of the opposite bracket and prevented from rotating by the sides of said slot, the springarms 38 of the brackets having a tendency to spring outwardly from the base portions of t ebrackets and toward the ends of the roller,

and thus prevent liability of the bracket-engaging members of the roller becoming disengaged from the brackets by endwise movement of the roller. The trunnion 39 is referably provided with a sleeve 42"*, forme as a tube surrounding the trunnion 39 and retained in place by the head 43 of said trunnion. The sleeve 42 is loose upon the trunnion and forms an, elongated bearing therefor, which reduces the Wear of the trunnion and prevents it from grating or scraping on the margin of the orifice 40 in the bracket-arm 38.

The spindle 41 is provided, as in the patent above mentioned, with a screw-thread 45 engaging a sliding car 46, which is movable in a groove 47 in the interior of the roller.

The sliding ear 46 is formed as a nut which engages the screw-thread 45 and is caused by the rotation of the roller to be moved longitudinally of the roller, the arran ement being such that a movement of the roller caused by the unwinding or lowering of the shade moves the nut 46 outwardly until it comes in contact with a stop 48, aflixed to the spindle 41.

When the nut 46 strikes the stop 48, further rotation of the roller in thedirection re uired to unwind the shade is prevented, as fu y set forth in the said Letters Patent No. 718,178.

My present invention includes the improved formation and application of-the stop 48, the same comprising a len th of flexible wire having near one end an en ar ement 49. The wire is passed through an ori ce formed for its rece tion in the spindle 41, and one of its ends is ent to form an arm 50, which lies between two adjacent convolutions of the screw-thread 45. The other end of the wire piece is bent to form the stop 48, this stop being a hooked arm projecting outwardly from the enlargement 49. It will be seen that the arm 50, engaged with two convolutions of the screw-thread, prevents the stop 48 rom turning, while the enlargement 49 cooperates with the arm 50 in preventing the stop from moving either inwardl or outwardly. The stop is thus held secure y in position.

The rotation of the roller required to raise the shade moves the nut 46 inwardly until it strikes a stop 51, affixed to the spindle, and thus arrests the rotation of the roller in the last-mentioned direction, as set forth in the above-mentioned patent. In this connection it may be stated that I have made an improve ment relating to the engagement of the spring 42 with the spindle 41. This improvement consists in forming a peripheral groove 53 in the spindle 41, as shown in Figs. 10 and 1 1, said groove receiving the end convolution of the s ring 42, as shown in Fig. 12. I find that the provision of the groove 53 enables the spring to be quickly engaged with the spindle by simply inserting or slipping the spring over the spindle until the end convolution of the spring snaps into the groove, the said end convolution hugging the bottom of the groove, and thus setting up a sufficient frictional engagement between the spring and spindle for all practical purposes, no positive connection of the spring with the spindle being required.

claim 1. The combination with a shade-roller having .a substantially radial longitudinal slot or pocket, of a shade having a stiffened inner end 'frictionall fitting said slot or pocket, said stiffened end being "removable and replaceable radially when the curtain is entirely unwound, and means for limiting the unwinding the shade from the roller, whereby a convolution of the shade will retain said stiffened inner end in the slot.

2. The combination with a shade-roller having a substantially radial longitudinal slot or pocket, of a shade having its inner end provided with a pluralit of folded metal stiffening-strips frictional y fitting said slot or pocket, said stiffened inner end being removable and re laceable radially when the curtain is entire y unwound, and means for limiting the unwinding of the shade from the roller, whereby a convolution of the shade will retain said stiffened inner end in said slot.

3. A shaderoller bracket comprising a base portion, an arm rojectin therefrom in p a direction substantia ly paralle to the shaderoller to besupported and a shade-stop Pivotally connected with the arm.

4. A shade-roller bracket comprising a base portion having one end bent back upon itself to furnish a roller-supporting arm, a stop-arm projecting from the base portion, and a shade-stop pivotally connected with said stop-arm.

5. A shade-roller having a screw-threaded spindle engaged with one end of the rollerspring, a bracket-engaging stud affixed to said spindle, a nut engaged with the screwthread of the spindle, and having a projection engaging a longitudinal slot in the roller, and a stop pin extending transversely through the spindle and bent at one end to enga e the thread of the spindle, the opposite end portion of the pin having an enlargement and a bent stop-arm.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK M. VICKERY. Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, E. BATCHELDER. 

